Alarm bell for grain elevators



(No Model.) 3 Sheet-Sheet 1.

G. W. NYE. ALARM BELL FOR GRAIN ELEVATORS, &0. No. 446,881. PatentedFeb. 24,1891.-

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 446,881 Patented Feb. 24, 1891.

UNITED STATES BAT-ENT OFFICE- GEORGE IV. NYE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ALARM-BELL FOR GRAIN-ELEVATORS, s60.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,881, dated February24:, 1891.

Application filed December 13, 1889. Serial No. 333,594. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WV. NYE, acitizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Alarm-Bell for Grain-Elevators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in alarm-bells for grain-elevators;and the obect of my improvement is to provide a means for ascertainingthe rate of speed of the endless cup-belt of an elevator-leg bymechanism operated by such endless bel In the operation ofgrain-elevators it frequently happens that the machine becomes cloggedwith the grain from various causes, and this fact is not immediatelydiscoverable. Th'is clogging causes the elevator-belt bearing the cupsor buckets to run too slow and ultimately to stop entirely if thecauseis not removed. The purpose of my improve ment is to provideautomatic means to give immediate notice of such clogging by the ringingof a bell, either by striking it with a hammer or by the pressure on abutton to ioprllplete an electrical circuit and thus ringa I attain theobjects of my invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device; Fig. 2, afront elevation. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of part of my device. Fig. 4is a top .view of the bell, hammer, and rotary disk or collar. Figs. 5and 6 are details of differentshaped disks or collars. Fig. 7 shows. inelevation a rotary disk and device for ringing an electric bell. Fig. 8is a view of the devices shown in Fig. 7, from the under side thereof.

Similar refer to similar letters parts throughout the several views.

dri ve-wheel.

B through an aperture in the elevator-leg. The box E is held in positionby cleats on the inside of the leg. The drive-wheel C bears against theendless belt B at the side opposite the buckets with such force that theendless belt when in motion will rotate the The shaft D of thedrive-wheel C extends beyond the frame or box on one side and bears thesheave F, which actuates the endless cord G. This cord is deflected bythe idlers h h and passes around the horizontal pulley II, which isrigidly attached at its center to the rotating vertical shaft I. I Theshaft I is supported in suitable hearings onthe box E. Rigidly fastenedto the top of the shaft 1 and rotating with-it is the cross piece j, toeach end of which is hinged one of the two armsJ J, each having at theend thereof a ball I) of point of attachment of the arms J J to thecross-piecej two rods J J are hinged at one end each to one of the armsJ J at a point distant from/the cross-piecej about one-third thedistance between the said cross-piece and the balls. At their other endthe rods J J are hinged to the lugs e e on the disk or collar K. Thedisk or collar K is feathered upon the vertical shaft I and rotates withit, but is free to move vertically on said shaft. The disk or collar Kis shaped so as to have projections K on its periphery, whichprojections may be varied in shape and arrangement, as shown in Figs. 4,5, and 6.

L is a bell of suitable size, supported upon a standard L.

M is a hammer upon the outer end of the lever M. This leverM ispivotallysupported upon the standard M At the end of the lever lWI'remote from the bell is rigidly attached the arm N, which extends farenough toward the disk or collar K to engage with the projections on theperiphery of the said disk or collar as said disk or collar rotates withthe shaft I.

O is a spiral spring extending from the standard L and fastened to thelever M by a lug or otherwise in such manner as to hold hammer M closeto the bell L.

In operation the endless belt in the elevator-leg communicates motion tothe drivesuitable weight. Between the bal s and the wheel C, whichactuates the rotating vertical shaft 1 through the sheave F, cord (Q,and horizontal pulley II.

The device is so adjusted that when the elevator is properly working thespeed with which the shaft I is rotated causes the balls 1) bycentrifugal force to spread the arms J .l, and thus lift the rotatingdisk by the rods .l J, so that the projections on the disk or collarwill not engage the arm N; but when the elevator-leg begins to beclogged the speed of the endless belt I is necessarily diminished, andwith it also the speed of the rotating shaft I. This diminution of speedsuffers the balls I) b to drop somewhat, thus lowering the disk orcollar K until one of the projections thereon engages the arm N. Thiswill cause the hammer M to be thrown away from the bell L, and thefurther rotation of the disk K will cause the said projections thereonto pass the arm N and release it. The elasticity of the spiral spring 0will then immediately cause the hammer to strike against the bell. Thecontinued rotation of the disk will thus cause the blows of the hammeragainst the bell to be repeated in rapid succession, giving immediatenotice that the elevator-leg is clogged. The arm N may be slotted at itspoint of juncture with the lever M, as shown at n, so that the devicemay be adjusted to indicate different rates of speed. An additional armN may be fastened to the top of the arm N, so as to enable the device toregister two different rates of speed. The disks or collars also maybeof various shapes at their periphery, so as to give different kinds ofalarms, so that where two or more elevator-legs are operated inproximity to each other disks or collars having projections differentlyshaped or arranged on each disk or collar may be employed in thedifferent legs, and the leg which is clogged may be readily discoveredby the kind of alarm produced. My device may also be employed to givesignals by operating an electric bell.

To operate an electric bell, the rotating disk K should have asubstantially smooth periphery, as shown in Figs. '7 and S. A rod 1 issuspended in suitable hangers Zl, so that it will slide therein.Directly opposite one end of this rod is a button for closing anelectrical circuit, and thus sounding an electric bell. At the other endof the rod 1 toward the disk K is attached a yoke sustaining a pivotedroller f. A spiral spring 17 around the rod holds the outer end of therod 1 away from the button .9, and also holds the rollerfa su ii'icientdistance within the periphcry of the disk K. A small transverse pin 6prevents the rod g from being thrown too far away from the button .9.\Vhen the rate of speed of the elevator-belt B desired to be registeredis attained, the periphery of the disk K presses against the roller f,compressing the spiral spring 1'; and pressing the sliding rod g againstthe button 5, thus closing the electrical circuit and ringing anelectric bell. (Not shown.) This latter method of using my device mayoften be the most convenient, as an electric bell may be located in anydesired position, however remote from the disk K, while the bell L mustnecessarily be in the vicinity of the disk.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to sccu re by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with an clevator-lcg provided with an opening, of anelevator-belt. running in said leg, a friction drivewhccl extendingthrough said opening and bearing against said belt, a spindle operatedfrom said drive-wheel, a ball-governor on said spindle, and analarm-bell arranged to be sounded by a rising and falling collar or diskforming part of said governor, whereby the elevatorbelt itself isutilized to sound an alarm when it is not properly working.

2. The combination, with an elevator-leg provided with an opening, of anelevatmr-belt running in said leg, at box or support E, attached to saidleg, a drive-wheel (I, suitably journaled in said box orsupport andarranged to project through said opening into contact with said belt, aspindle I, mounted on said box or support and operated from said drivewheel, a ball-governor on said spindle, and an alarm-bell arrangedto be sounded by a rising and falling collar or disk forming part ofsaid governor, substantially as set forth.

An alarm attachment for indicating irregularity in the speed of theendless belt in an elevator-leg, said attach ment consisting of adrive-wheel bearing against and operated by said endless belt andcommunicating motion through an endless cord and horizontal pulley to aspindle operating a ball-governor having a rising and falling rotarydisk or collar with projections thereon, said projections being variedin shape or arrangement to engage with a bell-ringing lever,substantially as described.

GEORGE W. NYE.

Witnesses:

\VILLIAM M. STANLEY, JEssn Cox.

